The Dallas Mavericks could fill their backcourt full of speed and versatility behind Kyrie Irving for next season.
All-Star Kyrie Irving will miss a majority of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in March, but the Dallas Mavericks have found steady success from the young point guards behind him, building the optimism that Dallas can have a solid back court rotation when Irving returns fully next season.
Undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard is a shoe-in to have his two-way deal converted into a standard contract after shining in recent weeks as the new starter, and Brandon Williams has continued to be a blur attacking the basket with speed, earning him the nickname "Ferrari" by head coach Jason Kidd.
Dallas still has some work to do to keep pace with the rest of the Western Conference playoff picture, but the slow offensive production has given some outlets the chance to project where each team might go in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.
The Mavs, of course, struck gold with their 1.8 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick hitting and allowing the team to build around its next cornerstone player, Cooper Flagg. Barring another miraculous turn of luck, the Mavs are currently projected to finish with the No. 7 seed in the lottery if they do not sneak into the Play-In tournament.
With that pick, The Athletic predicts Dallas to continue filling out its shifty backcourt by drafting the 6-foot-4 Houston guard, Kingston Flemings.
Flemings is averaging 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and five assists per game leading the No. 7-ranked Cougars offense. He is shooting a spectacular 61 percent overall and 52 percent from three-point range, leading many scouts to expect the 19-year-old freshman to go one-and-done after this stellar start to his college career.
"Flemings' speed has been wildly impressive," writes Sam Vecenie. "He looks like he’s in fast-forward while other players are in regular speed.
"Scouts want to see more of him playing and making decisions out of ball screens, as many of his best moments have come attacking closeouts off the ball," Vecenie added about the holes in Flemings' game. "His willingness to jump before making decisions as a passer has raised concerns. But his tools are real and exciting."
This upcoming draft could be a crucial one if Dallas elects to stop forcing the Nico Harrison-led Anthony Davis Experiment to work and trade the All-Star big man. The Mavs may look to fill out the interior if a post player is not brought back in a trade return, but it's also not a bad option to build around Flagg with dynamic playmakers who can get him the ball in space in multiple ways.
Dallas also does not control its first-round selection until 2031 after this upcoming draft, meaning if it is to build around Flagg through a traditional draft approach, this rookie may be the only available option for a good chunk of time moving forward.